[11:00 AM] Behind the Campus
Dust and blood mixed on the concrete behind the campus building. Three pairs of worn-out shoes slammed repeatedly into the ribs of a young man curled on the ground.
Each kick stole his breath. Yet, he remained silent—resigned—shielding his head with both hands as his body trembled from the pain. He knew that fighting back would only prolong the inevitable.
Enzi wiped spit from his lip, panting heavily. Beside him, Danindra and Noviyanto laughed, clearly savoring the miserable sight beneath their feet.
Then, a heavy voice cut through the chaos.
“HEY! What do you think you’re doing?!”
A security guard in a black uniform sprinted toward them, baton in hand. The three froze for a split second.
“Crap! Security—run!” Enzi shouted.
They bolted, leaving their victim sprawled weakly on the ground.
“Kid, are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
The guard crouched down, helping the young man sit up. Moments later, another student—with brown eyes and slightly wavy hair—ran over.
“Raffy?” Akasa murmured weakly.
“Hey, are you okay? What happened?”
Raffy dropped to his knees beside his friend, then carefully leaned him against the wall. His hands shook slightly as he wiped the blood from Akasa’s temple with a small yellow handkerchief.
“I’m fine. Just a little... well—misunderstanding,” Akasa said, forcing a smile despite flinching when the cloth touched his wound.
“Misunderstanding? Why didn’t you run?” Raffy demanded, confused.
Akasa exhaled slowly. His eyes shifted to the scuffed shoe prints left in the dust, then he spoke softly.
“I didn’t have... time.”
Raffy fell silent, reading the look in his friend’s eyes. There was resignation there—something deeper than a simple fight. He sighed and patted Akasa’s shoulder.
“Fine. After we get you patched up, come with me.”
“Where?”
“To eat.”
“Oh, okay.” Akasa nodded calmly and took his hand.
They made a brief stop at the campus clinic before heading to the cafeteria, as the security guard quietly returned to his post.
[11:15 AM] Faculty Cafeteria
The rich aroma of chicken soup filled the noisy cafeteria. In a quieter corner, Raffy and Akasa sat facing each other, eating their still-warm meals.
Not long after, familiar voices approached.
“So you guys eat without inviting us now?”